Chapter 259: Deprived

Mo Junyan hurriedly left, and the banquet ended amid the unspoken mockery of the crowd, without even the first course of the flowing banquet having started.

After the banquet ended, Meng Hui rushed into the room.

All his anger halted abruptly when he saw Meng Qinghe's tragic state.

"This… what is going on?"

The pungent smell of blood filled his nostrils, and seeing Meng Qinghe's face, Meng Hui didn't have time to hear her explanation and rushed out of the room, dry‑vomiting for a while.

Terrifying, nauseating.

How could his own daughter become like this?

Meng Qinghe's expression grew grim; the wound on her face kept bleeding fresh blood, the pain intensified, and finally she could not endure it and fainted.

The Meng household fell into chaos; in the back courtyard, Liu Yiniang, hearing the commotion from the front courtyard, smiled gloatingly.

"Mother, will the elder sister really marry into the Crown Prince's Residence?" Meng Qingrong asked anxiously, "If the elder sister marries the Crown Prince, what will become of me?"

Liu Yiniang looked at the expression on her face and said with a smile, "Silly girl, your good fortune has arrived."

"Good fortune? What good fortune?"

Liu Yiniang pulled her close, brushed the stray hairs from her ears, and whispered, "You were originally a concubine's daughter; even if you enter the Crown Prince's Residence, they will never regard you properly. Meng Qinghe is the legitimate daughter, and your father naturally wants her to attain a high position. Your purpose in the Crown Prince's Residence is to support Meng Qinghe, but Meng Qinghe is heartless. If she someday becomes Crown Princess and Empress, she will not tolerate you. Yet now, in broad daylight, before all eyes, she committed such an ugly deed, ruining the entire Minister's Residence's reputation. Even if she marries the Crown Prince, how can a woman with a sullied name become Crown Princess? How could she later be the mother of a nation? So…" She gently patted Meng Qingrong's hand and said, "You will surely become the candidate your father and grandmother have been cultivating, Qingrong. You are about to rise to great glory!"

Hearing Liu Yiniang's words, Meng Qingrong's face was full of surprise.

Indeed!

Now, in the Minister's Residence, the only one who can catch the Crown Prince's eye is herself.

"I've heard the matriarch has already gone to the main hall; I suppose discussions have already begun."

At this moment, the main hall.

Meng Hui stared in shock at Mrs. Shen.

"What? Chi Nan Yi? Mother said the Miss of the Chi family is… is Chi Nan Yi?" Meng Hui exclaimed in shock, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible! As far as I know, Chi Nan Yi's biological parents…"

"I have already seen her today," the matriarch said, swinging her prayer beads and cutting off Meng Hui, "It is undoubtedly her."

Meng Hui's complexion shifted several times; after a long thought he still could not understand how Chi Nan Yi became the Chi family's daughter.

"At that time, Lady Chi…"

"She does not bear the surname Chi," the elderly lady said, eyes narrowed, "She does not have the Chi surname; she is of the Situ family."

"Situ…" Meng Hui practically sprang from his seat, eyes wide, so startled his breathing faltered, "The Situ family? Is the mother referring to that Situ family?"

The matriarch nodded, "Indeed, throughout Daqi, who else besides her could bear the illustrious name of the Situ family? I don't know if you still recall her appearance; think carefully—she is strikingly similar to the legitimate daughter of the Chi family who married Situ General. Seeing her today, I momentarily thought it was her."

Meng Hui staggered back half a step, grasped the table edge to steady himself, his face turning pale and then ashen, and for a long while he could not utter a single complete sentence.

Chi Nan Yi, is she actually the orphan of the Situ family?

"She… I…" Meng Hui slumped into his chair, saying irritably, "Had I known this earlier, we should never have let that couple take her away. No wonder a while ago, when she confronted Qinghe, Jue'er was severely injured and Qinghe was nearly disfigured…"

The matriarch's expression was stern, and she whispered, "There is no such thing as…"

"How do you explain this?"

The matriarch sighed and recounted her plan for the day: "I originally intended for her to be with Second Young Master… but she saw through it and we ended up performing a charade. I just don't know whether the matter between the Crown Prince and Qinghe was devised by Qinghe herself or by someone else."

Meng Hui understood in his heart that the "other person" referred to Chi Nan Yi.

"Mother, what shall we do now?"

For now, we must cure Qinghe's face; her reputation is ruined, we must spare no expense, she must marry into the Crown Prince's Residence, her rank cannot be low, otherwise the Meng Family's face will be completely lost.

Meng Hui heard this, a wry smile flashed on his face, "Where do you mean we will be completely ruined? Clearly we have already been utterly ruined."

"Furthermore, hoping for Qinghe to vie for favor is no longer possible; we must select another lady from the household to send."

"Yes," Meng Hui nodded, "Qingrong is rather favored by the Crown Prince; let's send her."

"Her?" the matriarch shook her head, "Facing a familiar face, there is no novelty. Send the Crown Prince someone he has never seen, like Miss Mingyue."

"Yes, Mother's thinking is thorough."

The matriarch, looking weary, rose slowly and said, "Enough, I am also tired. Have we summoned the Divine Doctor to treat Qinghe's face?"

"The son has already sent someone to invite him; I expect he will arrive at our door soon."

After the matriarch left, Meng Hui rubbed his temples; the Jiang Clan had already sent people to request several times, and he was too lazy to respond.

Whenever he thought of Meng Qinghe's ghastly face, he couldn't help but feel a burning hatred.

When he first recognized her, she said Chi Nan Yi was a disaster star; now it is clear she herself is that disaster star! Since she returned, the Minister's Residence has been in chaos, and now she has committed such a disgraceful act.

"Servants, bring the Second Young Master here."

Soon, the young servant hurried back to the study, his face looking very ill, and said, "Lord Xiang, the Second Young Master—he… he…"

"What? Speak quickly!"

"When I left, the Second Young Master had already… had already been castrated."

"What?"

Meng Hui sprang up in shock.

Meng Hui hurried forward, seized the servant's shoulder, and demanded, "What did you say? Say it again!"

The servant could only steel himself and repeat what he had just said.

"When I left, the Second Young Master and Miss Mingyue by the matriarch's side had already fainted; the Second Young Master… had already been…"

Meng Hui's temples bulged with blue veins, and he flung his hands forcefully, sending the servant flying.

"Damn it!" Meng Hui flung all the porcelain on the table to the ground.

"Chi Nan Yi!" Meng Hui clenched his fists, his eyes filled with murderous intent: "I will not rest until the Chi family is destroyed!"

At this moment, Chi Nan Yi was waiting in the First Village of the World for the Meng family to arrive, when a figure appeared behind the screen, surrounding her with a familiar aura; Mo Junyan hurried forward to her side and, without a word, scooped her into his arms.

Chi Nan Yi was momentarily stunned, then smiled and patted his back, "I'm fine, aren't I?"

Mo Junyan said nothing, only held her tighter.

"I can't catch my breath." Chi Nan Yi nudged his shoulder, Mo Junyan's arms suddenly relaxed, worriedly rubbed her arm, his hoarse voice: "Yi'er..."